Is bottled water bad for your teeth?

Shape, June, 2004 by Erika Rasmusson Janes

Bottled water now ranks as the second-largest-selling nonalcoholic beverage in the United States, behind soda. But drinking it has a downside: an increased risk for cavities. That's because unlike fluoridated tap water, the majority of bottled waters don't contain optimal levels (0.7-1.2 parts per million) of fluoride, according to the American Dental Association. In fact, most brands have less than 0.3 part per million, says Robert Ophaug, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in Minneapolis.

So if you get your [H.sub.2]O by twisting a cap instead of a tap, check out the International Bottled Water Association's Web site, bottledwater.org, to see if your favorite brand is fluoridated. If it's not listed, contact the manufacturer to find out for sure. Or follow Ophaug's advice: Switch to tap water that's been filtered with a charcoal-based system like Brita or Pur. Unlike reverse-osmosis systems, these don't filter out most of the fluoride.